The motivation behind why a person carries out a particular action can play an important role in any given situation. In particular, authorities often look for motive when investigating crimes, and in some cases, people of interest may have no motivation to commit certain crimes, which make them less likely to be suspects. However, even if motive does exist, it does not necessarily mean that a person acted on his or her own accord.
You may have concerns about the type of information authorities are looking into if they suspect you of white collar crime. Even if no formal charges have come against you, you may already know about the investigation into your activities. If so, it is smart to start gaining information on what this means and what you can do.
Motivation for white collar crime
Embezzlement, fraud and other white collar crimes typically do not involve any violent elements. Individuals who participate in such activities often do so without making threats or carrying out dangerous acts, which is why some can go undetected for years. Nonetheless, certain ideas and behaviors could seemingly encourage people to carry out financial crimes.
For example, you may have a work environment that does not necessarily bring out the best in people. You may also have found yourself in a position where certain ambiguous cues in your work environment encouraged you to participate in less-than-ethical behaviors. Your managers and superiors may have even expressed a nonchalant attitude toward ethical work behaviors or implied that no repercussions would stem from questionable practices.
Workplace incentives
Your employer may also have offered you and your co-workers incentives if you met certain goals. In some cases, those incentives could lead employees to bend the rules in hopes of making their goals to receive the desired reward. It is not unusual for management to even encourage workers to do whatever it takes to reach a particular goal, and workers can take that literally.
Unfortunately, while your manager may not have carried out any punishment for questionable actions in the workplace, it does not mean that authorities will not get involved. If you have come under suspicion of committing white collar crime, you are in a difficult spot. Luckily, you can start gaining knowledge on what this could mean for you and your future by speaking with an experienced Chicago defense attorney.